about
Us

Our mission is to inspire collaboration, mobilize resources and encourage innovation that measurably contributes to the wellbeing of our community.

Our Region

service area map

We serve the residents of Dodge and Jefferson Counties with priority given to projects impacting the communities served by the following school districts:

  • Dodgeland
  • Hustisford
  • Ixonia
  • Jefferson
  • Johnson Creek
  • Lake Mills
  • Waterloo
  • Watertown

The Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation was created out of the September 2015 joint venture transaction between Watertown Regional Medical Center (WRMC) and LifePoint Health.

Community support over the last century has been central to WRMC's capacity to provide first-class healthcare. The Foundation is committed to continuing this legacy by providing both financial and leadership resources to Wisconsin's Dodge and Jefferson Counties and through our 20% ownership in WRMC and appointment of 50% of the WRMC joint venture board.

The Foundation is an independent non-profit governed by its own community board of directors.

Board

Michael Sullivan, MD,

Michael Sullivan, MD

Chair

As a family physician, Dr. Sullivan has a unique connection to the health needs of the community. He has been a physician partner at Watertown Family Practice since moving to the area in 2004.

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Dr. Sullivan has served as Vice Chief of Staff and Chief of Staff on the WRMC Medical Executive Committee. He received his BS in Biology and MD from the University of Illinois. Dr. Sullivan previously served on the WRMC Board of Directors and as a provider at the Watertown Area Cares Clinic. He is a current member of the Tour da Goose Planning Committee, YES! Watertown and the YMCA Capital Campaign Committee.

Margaret Hanrahan

Margaret Hanrahan
Vice Chair

Margaret's legal expertise in advocating for abused and neglected children and vulnerable adults, along with her knowledge of the services that can better support them, brings a unique perspective to the Foundation board.

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She graduated from Michigan's Kalamazoo College and went on to receive her law degree from Marquette University Law School. Her legal background includes private law practice and serving as Law Clerk for the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District II; and Staff Attorney for Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee. Margaret resides in Lake Mills where she has served on the Friends of the Lake Mills Library Scholarship Committee and the Lake Mills Main Street Program Economic Development Committee. She is a current member of the Jefferson County Bar Association, serves as an Election Inspector for the Town of Lake Mills and an adult literacy tutor for Jefferson County Literacy Council.

Tina Crave

Tina Crave
President and Chief Executive Officer

In her role as President and CEO, Tina positions the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation to serve as a catalyst for collaboration and innovation that measurably enhances community health and wellbeing.

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Tina believes relationships, connectedness and a "get it done" spirit make rural communities the right place to create social innovation that sets an example for our state, our nation and our world. Her entrepreneurial mindset and embrace of lifelong learning inspires partners to take on the meaty, challenging work of addressing health equity, focusing on the upstream social determinants of health, and creating systems change.

Tina has grown the Foundation's impact by leveraging investments, championing braided funding for projects, and stewarding both state funding and private philanthropy. Tina serves on the boards of Thrive Economic Development and Rainbow Hospice as well as on an executive committee for the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health. Tina earned her Master's Degree in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. She holds a Professional Certification in Results Based Accountability.

Randall J. Phelps

Randall J. Phelps
Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair

Randy brings experience in business management to the GWCHF board, having held many leadership positions in the manufacturing industry.

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Employed by the ORBIS Corporation for 32 years, he held leadership positions including Marketing Manager, Venture Manager, General Manager and VP of Business Development including Acquisitions. Randy has served on the Watertown Regional Medical Center Board for 13 years where he served as Chairman and as a member of the Finance Committee. He also serves on the Educational Foundation of Watertown, Inc. board as President. He is also the Finance Chairman for Christ United Methodist Church. Randy obtained his bachelor's degree from Wartburg College with an emphasis in Business Administration/Economics. He furthered his education with an MBA from the Wharton Graduate School of Business of the University of Pennsylvania with an emphasis in marketing.

Steve Battenberg

Steve Battenberg

Steve is a partner at Carlson Black O'Callaghan & Battenberg LLP, a real estate and business-focused law firm located in Madison, Wisconsin.

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With extensive experience representing nonprofit corporations of varying size, Steve has worked closely with tax-exempt entities on organizational and tax compliance issues. He currently serves as general counsel to multiple trade associations and charitable organizations.

Steve grew up in the area and graduated from Johnson Creek High School. He later returned to raise his own family, and is now looking to give back to a community that provided his–and his four children's–start in life.

Steve continues to be an active member of the community, having served many organizations, including the Town of Portland Planning Commission (Chair), the Waterloo CATV Board (Chair), Pantheon Industries (President and board member), Waterloo Youth Sports Organization (Coach and board member), Waterloo Community Foundation (President and board member) and the Johnson Creek Education Foundation (scholarship committee member).

He earned his Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from the University of Washington, his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

Elliott D. Clark

Elliott D. Clark

Elliott's experience working as the Truancy Abatement Officer for the Watertown Unified School District (WUSD) gives him first-hand knowledge into the needs of the underserved population in our community.

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His passion for the students and families he works with, combined with his "boots on the ground approach" lends a valuable perspective to the GWCHF Board. Elliott is a graduate of UW-Oshkosh where he obtained a degree in English. He served in the United States Army/Army reserve for four years and in addition to his work with WUSD he is employed by Scott-Systems as Executive VP of Sales and Marketing. Elliott is an avid sports fan and has previously coached basketball, baseball and softball at the high school and college level.

Orlando Dominguez

Orlando Dominguez

Orlando's passion for helping others grow, and his strong commitment to advocacy, spurred his interest in the work of the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation.

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He has lived in the Watertown, Wisconsin area for almost two decades and found ways to give back to youth, including his current role as a WIAA Basketball Official and previous licensure as a substitute Teacher.

As a lifelong learner and first generation college graduate, Orlando values the positive impact of education. He holds a Master's Degree in Human Resources from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, along with Bachelor's and Associate’s degrees.

His career experience in plant management, training, and human resources bring valuable perspective to the Board, including expertise in process-management, project management, and data analysis. Orlando works as a Senior Human Resources professional at Palermo's in Jefferson, Wisconsin.

Karla Mullen

Karla Mullen

A retired teacher, Karla's service on the Watertown Regional Medical Center Board inspired in her a deep commitment for the health and wellness of our region.

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Karla holds an MA degree in education from Carroll University in Waukesha and has achieved National Board Teacher Certification, as well as NBCT Facilitator Training and Strategic Planning. She taught high school English and Social Studies during her career at the Watertown Unified School District. In addition to the WRMC Board, Karla has served as Board Chair for the Wisconsin Humanities Council and is a former board member of Endeavor Charter School where she is a volunteer teacher. She also volunteers for the Watertown Area Cares Clinic, a non-profit medical provider for low-income, uninsured residents.

William Oswald

William Oswald

Bill's extensive background in finance and his commitment to the community bring great strengths to the GWCHF board.

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Since 1997, Bill has served as a financial advisor and currently co-owns Oswald Konz Financial Group. Bill's concern for the needs of our area has led him to serve as a member on the Watertown Rotary Club, Board Member of the Watertown Area Community Foundation, Board and Finance Committee of Marquardt Village, Friends of the Watertown Public Library, Watertown Area YMCA Capital Campaign Committee, and prior board member and President of the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce as well as youth sports coach for soccer, basketball, football and baseball. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire with a degree in business finance and is a Certified Financial Planner. Bill has also earned the Accredited Investment Fiduciary professional designation from Fiduciary360.

Carol Quest

Carol Quest

Carol has dedicated 35 years to the health and wellness of our region as a Registered Nurse, and for over 15 years she has been the Director/Health Officer of the Watertown Department of Public Health.

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Through her career, she has provided bedside nursing at Watertown Regional Medical Center, and has worked at local County and City health departments as both a Public Nurse and an administrator. Carol's profession has given her the opportunity to impact and support current and emerging Public Health practices in our region and as a State and local public health advocate she has garnered the knowledge and skills needed to understand the complexities of improving public health. Carol currently serves on several boards, including the Watertown Regional Medical Center Joint Venture Board, Watertown Area Cares Clinic, a non-profit medical provider for low-income, uninsured residents; Dodge/Jefferson Healthier Community Partnership and Dodge/Jefferson Community Health Assessment. She is a member of Healthiest Wisconsin 2020, where she also served on the board and implementation plan committee.

Nate Salas

Nate Salas

Nate's role as a bank executive has given him the skills necessary to think strategically, plan and effectively communicate his vision.

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He is committed to helping steer the Watertown region into a healthy and vibrant future. Nate earned his BS in Engineering with a Major in Political Science from the US Air Force Academy. He went on to earn his MBA in Finance at UW-Whitewater and a professional degree from the Graduate School of Banking from UW-Madison. He served 7 years in the military; four years as a cadet and three years as an officer in the Office of Special Investigations Aviano Italy. He has been employed in the banking and finance industry for 9 years. Nate is the founder and president of YES!Watertown, committee member of the Watertown Branding Commission and Board member of Partnership Bank. He has also served as a member of Leadership Watertown and Watertown Rotary.

Tim Schuler

Tim Schuler

Tim's background in business and accounting is an asset on the GWCHF board. He currently provides financial leadership to the sales and marketing groups of ORBIS, where he has been employed for 30 years.

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In 2013, Tim received the ORBIS Presidential Award that recognizes individuals who perform at a high level and make significant contribution to the business. That same year, he was awarded the Menasha Corporation Living the Vision Award, the highest employee award in the company. Tim obtained his BBA from UW-Oshkosh with a major in accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Wisconsin. He has previously served on the Watertown Regional Medical Center Board where he held the position of Finance Committee Chairman. He was also the treasurer for the St. Bernard's School Athletic Association, baseball and soccer coach for Watertown Park and Recreation and served as a member of the Facilities Advisory Committee for the Watertown School District.

Mick Selck

Mick Selck

After 30+ years in law enforcement, Mick Selck recently retired as Chief of Police from the City of Lake Mills Police Department.

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He has served his community in roles which included the American Cancer Society's "Relay for Life" as Chair and Co-Chair, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Rotary Club of Lake Mills where he has served on the board of directors and as club president. He is the current Assistant Governor for Rotary District 6250. He has also been a foster parent.

Mick has served the GWCHF as a grants committee member since 2022 and joined the board in 2023. In retirement Mick has started an LLC where he will use his skills to mentor juveniles, and was recently hired as Chief of Police for the Town of Lake Mills.

Marcy Tessman

Marcy Tessman

Marcy's extensive career as a public relations practitioner brings expertise in working and communicating with civic groups, influencers and the general public.

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She is the President of and partner in Charleston/Orwig, a strategic communications agency serving leading and emerging brands within the food system. Marcy is a graduate of UW-Madison, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree. She has held a membership in the National Agri-Marketing Association since 1994 and is a member of the Giving Ladies of Watertown charitable group. In addition, she served a 3-year term on the Watertown Regional Medical Center Board.

Staff

Tina Crave

Tina Crave
President and Chief Executive Officer

In her role as President and CEO, Tina positions the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation to serve as a catalyst for collaboration and innovation that measurably enhances community health and wellbeing.

read more

Tina believes relationships, connectedness and a "get it done" spirit make rural communities the right place to create social innovation that sets an example for our state, our nation and our world. Her entrepreneurial mindset and embrace of lifelong learning inspires partners to take on the meaty, challenging work of addressing health equity, focusing on the upstream social determinants of health, and creating systems change.

Tina has grown the Foundation's impact by leveraging investments, championing braided funding for projects, and stewarding both state funding and private philanthropy. Tina serves on the boards of Thrive Economic Development and Rainbow Hospice as well as on an executive committee for the Wisconsin Office of Children's Mental Health. Tina earned her Master's Degree in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch University and her Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. She holds a Professional Certification in Results Based Accountability.

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Nathan Peters

Nathan Peters
Chief Financial Officer

Nate provides leadership for the Foundation's investment strategy and portfolio, helping to guide the Foundation's strategic vision and enhance our financial capabilities. He leads the Foundation's financial modeling and forecasting, and brings steady oversight to all investments.

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Nate leads some of the Foundation's largest impact investment projects, including the multi-million dollar initiative that will transform the former Bethesda Corporate Campus over a number of years to a nonprofit center and model housing development that meets the needs of the Watertown community for generations to come.

With a background of finance, commercial and small business banking experience, Nate holds a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

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Kim Melcher

Kim Melcher
Chief Impact Officer

Kim weaves together the people, strategies, and data that drive the Greater Watertown Community Health Foundation's mission to measurably advance the wellbeing of young children and families throughout Dodge and Jefferson Counties. Kim's high-touch, collaborative leadership style effectively engages staff, stakeholders, and community leaders around the complex challenges of systems change.

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Kim continuously builds the capacity of the multi-sector teams she leads, modeling innovation and an entrepreneurial approach. Her role, in part, is finding ways to powerfully connect people to the work–and to each other–using data, best practices, and inspiration.

An experienced community health strategist, Kim has been shepherding successful programming for more than two decades. Past roles include Deputy Director for ABCD: After Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Suburban Milwaukee County Coordinator for the Wisconsin Well Woman Program, Coordinator of Community Workforce Health at Community Memorial Hospital, and Health Educator with Independent Care. She holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from Concordia University and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Community Health Education from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Kim holds a Professional Certification in Results Based Accountability.

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Tom Linder

Tom Linder
Data Specialist

Tom advances the Foundation's culture of data-driven decision making and continuous quality improvement. He supports the planning and evaluation of Foundation programs, grants and investments to ensure they are "moving the needle" on priority measures of health and wellbeing.

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Gifted at parsing complex information and providing thoughtful interpretation, Tom proactively supports our community partners in their understanding of the results-based accountability questions of: "How much?" "How well?" and "Is anyone better off?" His previous work includes strategic planning, research and market analysis in the fields of pediatric healthcare and commercial real estate. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

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Susan Olson

Susan Olson
Social Impact Coordinator

Susan is a highly-skilled project manager, overseeing complex initiatives that require coordinating people, perspectives, resources and deadlines. With the belief that "progress happens at the speed of relationships," Susan creates community around strategic priorities. She convenes organized, effective and gracious work sessions that build momentum for our collaborative teams.

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Work experience in both technology and parks and recreation (where she created award-winning programs and was recognized twice as employee of the year) built Susan's management and project leadership skills, which are complemented by intermediate proficiency in Spanish. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

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Andi Merfeld

Andi Merfeld
Grants and TalkReadPlay Coordinator

Andi is the approachable, knowledgeable interface for community change leaders. With a focus on equitable grant-making practices, she prioritizes accessibility by facilitating the grant process at every stage. She keeps an open ear to community needs, helping ensure foundation investments benefit those who need it most. She is also the driver of the TalkReadPlay program, building a network of trusted messengers who support parents as their child's first teacher, and managing a high-profile, multi-channel communications campaign that supports TalkReadPlay messaging.

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On a team made up of people who wear many hats, Andi is perhaps the most versatile member. She has been part of the team since the beginning, and her role has continued to grow and change over her tenure. Andi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

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Deb Portman

Deb Portman
Community Manager at the Collective

Deb provides the countless essential functions and details that make our workplace wonderful. As the Collective's Community Manager, she is the first point of contact for our tenant-members and visitors. Responsible for events, activities, room rentals and engagement, Deb is a friendly, knowledgeable resource for dozens of Collective community members.

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Deb was instrumental in developing the vision and processes for the Collective and in overseeing a seamless relocation of our headquarters. She works proactively to build community and create relationships among the many organizations that co-work at the Collective. Deb has extensive experience as a finance and operations manager in healthcare, and attended the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

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Jill Van Sickle

Jill Van Sickle
Early Childhood Learning Coordinator and Coach

Jill is an essential part of the team working to collectively "move the needle" on early childhood outcomes. She coordinates with internal team members to manage projects and drive strategy but spends a large amount of time out in the community, building the capacity of early care and education leaders through training and coaching.

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Jill is generous and encouraging as she shares her extensive knowledge of best practices that support the social-emotional learning of young children, and is passionate about supporting community partners in structuring environments, routines and interactions that measurably improve outcomes for children and families. Jill is a Pyramid Model trainer and holds Wisconsin Infant Mental Health Endorsement at Level II. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and Teaching from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. Jill completed the Infant, Early Childhood, and Family Capstone Certificate Program from University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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Sara Stinski

Sara Stinski
Communications Strategist

Sara manages communications for the Foundation, including the website, newsletter, social media, and more. With extensive experience in nonprofit communications, she works to create a clear, compelling case for the Foundation's priorities and to engage the community through progress updates that combine storytelling and data.

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Sara has worked in healthcare, agency and government settings. She holds a Master's Degree in Public Relations and Bachelor's Degree in Advertising and Public Relations, both from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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Community Health Needs Assessment

Every three years, public health and healthcare partners collaborate to update a Community Health Needs Assessment through the Dodge-Jefferson Healthier Community Partnership.

By reviewing public health data and dialoguing with community stakeholders we've identified our region's greatest barriers to health, which are:

  • Access to quality, affordable housing
  • Access to quality, affordable childcare
  • Access to transportation
  • Mental health


Review our region's full Community Health Needs Assessment report here.

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